Google's offices in Hamburg, Germany. Photo: Shutterstock.comGerman Publishers Drop Suit Against Google, Handing Hengeler Mueller a Win
A German publishing consortium and Google had faced off on copyright fees for the use of article snippets.
June 10, 2020 at 05:30 PM
3 minute read
A consortium of German publishers has dropped its claim against Google in Berlin Regional Court asserting that the tech giant was infringing copyrights by displaying news snippets in its search engine results.
VC Media, a consortium of roughly 200 German publishers, dropped the suit after a Berlin district court made it clear that a 2013 German law was not applicable. The move ends a dispute that had lasted more than six years.
The issue of media platforms like Google violating copyright laws by using news snippets is ongoing. But the EU's Court of Justice ruled last year that a provision in current German copyright law requiring Google to pay for the use of snippets was invalid because the European Commission had not been notified of the regulation.
The European court had requested its member states to issue new copyright laws. The German government has not yet issued such a law.
Hengeler Mueller represented Google in both the dispute before the Berlin District Court and the ECJ. Raue, a German law firm based in Berlin, represented VG Media.
Publishers have repeatedly challenged the use of their content by internet platforms such as Google and Facebook, arguing that this has seriously damaged newspapers, magazines and other media, and is done in violation of copyright laws. They say the internet platforms should pay publishers for the use of their products.
In April, France's competition regulator handed Google a harsh defeat in a copyright dispute with news publishers over the use of their content online without compensation, ordering Google to start negotiating in good faith immediately to find an accord with the publishers. France recently issued a new copyright law.
The decision by VG media to drop its claim only affects its demands for past license fees, not for any putative future payments, VG Media said in a statement.
"VG Media asserts rights. If Google accepts the claim, we will enter into a license agreement on reasonable terms. If Google denies our claims and does not negotiate, we will sue," a VG Media spokesman said.
Hengeler Mueller partners Albrecht Conrad and Wolfgang Spoerr led the team representing Google. Raue partners Jan Hegemann and Robert Heine headed the team that represented VG Media.
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Google Wins Legal Battle With German Publishers Over News Snippet Fees
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